Firefighters Called To Fire Pit Blaze At Corlette

BY IAN CROUCH

A Corlette resident has had a lucky escape after a fire pit blaze threatened his home early Tuesday morning.

Newcastle Fire Command says the resident of the two storey brick home at The Yardarm woke to a loud bang just before 4.30am and found a smouldering fire in a home made fire pit on the front timber deck had re-ignited and started spreading.

Fire crews from Nelson Bay arrived a short time later to find the resident tackling the blaze with a garden hose and helped him to fully extinguish the flames.

The fire burnt out about 6 square metres of timber deck but thankfully the house escaped damage.

It's prompted a warning from firefighters to fully extinguish fire pits before going to bed.

Five People Injured After Explosion At Corlette

BY IAN CROUCH

A 16-year-old boy is fighting for life in Sydney's Royal North Shore hospital after an explosion in a fire pit during a family function at Corlette.

Police say methylated spirit was poured onto the fire pit while five people huddled around it for warmth on the patio of a home in Sandy Point Road just after 5.00pm yesterday.

The 16-year-old suffered burns to his face, arms and torso - a man and woman in their 40's were also flown to Sydney with serious burns to their legs and torso.

Two others, a man and woman in their 40's, were taken to the John Hunter Hospital with burns to their face and torso.

The teenager is expected to undergo surgery this morning.

Officers from the Port Stephens/Hunter Police District have set up a crime scene as investigations continue.